Motor-vehicle brake.



No. 645,903. Patented Mar. 20, 1900. E. A. SPERRY. MOTOBVEHICLE BRAKE.

(Application filed-Oct. 30, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Shoet (No Model.)

T cams mans so, PHDTO-LITHO. WASH No. 645,903. Patented Mar. 20, I900. E. A. SPERRY.

MOTOR VEHICLE BRAKE.

(Application filed Oct. 30, 1899. f

(No Model.) 2 Sheets8heet 2 amvawlioz THE mmms vzrzas co., PHOTULTHQ, WASHINGTON. 0.1:.

ELMER A. SPERRY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MOTOR-VEHICLE BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,903, dated March 20, 1900.

Original application filed September 16, 1899, Serial No. 7301692. Divided and this application filed October 30, 1899. Serial No. 735,168. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELMER A. SPERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Motor-VehicleBrakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to motor vehicle brakes; and it consists in various arrangements of parts and constructions ofdetails, arrangements of circuits, and means for changing such relation, in connection'with separate generating units, motor or motors, electric brakes, resistances, 850. I

The invention has for its objects to combine in a single operatingv system for vehicles means for starting, varying the speed, and .instantaneously stopping with the least possible inconvenience to the operator and with-1 out calling forth at any time an excessive effort on the part of the operator to place under his control power-brakes far more powerfulhthan manually-actuated brakes and at.

the same time applying the brakes to all the wheels of the vehicle instead of the drivingwheels only, as heretofore. These objects are attained by mechanism, details, and circuits shown in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuits of the vehicle. Fig. 2 is 2. diagrammatic view of the running-gear of the carriage, showing motor and brake. Fig. 3 illustrates the electric-brake magnet applied to forward wheels, which in this case are steering-wheels. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of Fig. 3.

In the drawings like letters and numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

The system of control or arrangement of electrical circuits of the vehicle is shown in diagram in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the electricity is generated by separate units N N N N, each of which may represent a group of generators the positive and negative terminals of which are coupled, as shown, to the various circuit-manipulating devices. function and relation remain now to be pointed out in detail. To the right is observed the gear or segment 6, by means of which the Their.

controller-shaft f is manipulated. On this shaft are mounted the reversing-switch I and the controller H, the controller having three active positions, one on either side of On the two reversing-switches I'and G these contacts. areshown with their electrical connections. Leading from the reversing-switch G and also the controller Hare flexible wires,

(indicated by the waving lines,) which are numbered in the followingfdescription.

When the "controller is so turned that the brushes N engage the row P of contacts, it

will be seen that the currentfiows through the motor in direction of the arrows as follows: Coming from each of the generators N, it reaches brush N, contact 14, wire 15, brush N contact 16, wire 15, brush N contact 17, wire 15, flexible wire 18, and from the last generator by wire 19, switch .T, wire 20 to brush 20. Suppose now that the reversingswitch be in the position shown in Fig. 1. The current will enter contact 21, contact 22, brush 23, wire 24:, brush 25, contact 26, contact and brush 27, wire 28, through the armature A A of the motor to brush 29, (in the direction of the arrow-heads in full lines,) to brushes 30, 31, and 32, field Fe, wire 34 to the negative of the first battery, and wire 35 (part of which is flexible) to contacts 36, 37, and 38 to brush N returning the current to the second generator, brush N returning the These are suitably concurrent through it is always as indicated in any of the three power positions.

Taking now the second power position, obtained by turning the controller in such a way that the brushes N to N rest upon the second row of contactsviz., P we notice that the current generated by the first generator N arrives at brush N, contact 40, wire 11, and the current coming from the second generator arrives at N contact 42, passes back through brushes N and N the latter by way of contact 43 and wire 44: to the lower pair of generators, from whence it flows to the brush N contact &5, wire 15, and thence, as before, by flexible wire 18, joined by current from the last generator, passing wire 19, switch T, and wire to contact 20 and thence through the motor or motors back to the negative terminals of the first two generators by wires 34 and 35 to contact 46, brush N to the negative of the second generator N, at which point the circuit is complete. Thus it will be seen in this position the motor or motors receive current from two of the generators in multiple coupled in series with two other of the generators.

\Vhen the controller is turned to the position P", the generators are then all in series, the current passing as follows: from the positive of the first generator to brush N, contact 18, brush N second generator, brush N contact 49, brush N third generator, brush N,co11tact50,brush N; fourth gen erator,wire

19, switch T, wire 20, brush 20 to motor and fields and back to the first generator by wire 34, exactly as above pointed out in reference to the two other power positions. Furthermore, it will be seen that if the reversing-handle D is so operated that the long contacts 53 and 54 are brought under the brushes 20, 23, 31, and 32, in this case the current arriving at brush 20 will pass over on contact 53 to brush 31, and therefore pass the armature in the directions opposite that just described and not resume the original direction until it again arrives at brush 32, thus giving a complete reversing action to the motor or motors M connected. It will thus be seen that the motor is a reversible motor and when reversed while in motion may become a generator, the currents acting through circuits described in following specification.

It will be noticed from the figures that upon the controller being turned backward, so that the contacts H and the brush 0 or any of the brushes 0 are in contact, a new set of contactsviz., the long contacts shown at and 61, respectively-will be brought in contact with the brushes 25, 2'7, 29, and 30, which again reverses the connections of the armature or armatures and field, the reversingswitch G remaining in either of its positions unchanged, and it is this reversal action of the reversing-switch I which is depended upon to convert the motor or motors M into generators. Assuming now that the generation of current is going forward and that one of the brushes 0 is in contact with the segment H, the circuit traversed by the current will be seen to be as follows: Emanating at brush attached to wire 28, it will flow backwardly through wire 28, as indicated by the dotted arrow-head, brush 2?, contact (30, brush 30, brush 3l,thence followingthe circuitsthrough the field Fe to wire 34 35, segment II, off the farthest brush to the left 0, which happens to be in contact at the instant with the segment H, through the resistance R, wire 02, in direction of the dotted arrow-heads, arriving at wire 63, passing the flexible wires into the brake-magnet LL, back by wire 64, joining and passing up to wire 65, wire 66 to wire 20, brush 20, contact 21, contact 22, brush 23, wire 24:, brush 25, contact 61, brush 29, wire 67, in direction of the dotted arrow-head to the oppositebrush of the motor or motors M, thus completing the circuit. The switch T will be thus seen to be connected by wire 20 to the motor-circuit in which it is directly inserted. The motor-circuit becomes the generator-circuit when the brakes are applied, and it will be seen that the switch T still is in electrical connection with this circuit and is also directly in electrical connection with wire 66, which is purely an electric-brake connection. The amount of current thus flowing will be dependent, first, upon the speed of the motor or motors, and, secondly, upon the amount of resistance R included in the circuit. The mechanical energy required for rotation of the armature or armatures A A of the motor, which are geared in the drivingwheels to w of the carriage, will efiectually retard their motion and tend to bring the carriage quickly to rest, aided materially by the retardation of the forward wheels by the brake-magnets L L, as will readily be understood.

Attention is specially called to the fact that the forward wheels are supplied with braking devices operated by the electric current, which may be generated in any suitable manneras, for instance, that just described.

From the fact that retardation of motion is commenced, the mass, the center of gravity of which is usually high above the ground, pitches forward,bringing a large portion of the weight over and upon the forward wheels, and removing a corresponding amount from the back wheels. It will be seen that, during the time of braking, the forward Wheels, hearing, as they do, a materially-increased amount of the load, are the most important factors in stopping, and their retardation will tend to bring the mass to rest quicker than an equal amount of retardation brought to bear upon the rear wheels.

Turning now to the detail of the electric brake indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, it will be noticed that the hub K of the wheel, While serving to secure the spokes K in position, offers the lateral surface of a disk It" to the brake magnets or magnet L, which may be of circular or crescent shape, fully described in former patents to me. (See Nos. 534,974, 534,977, and 565,937.) This magnet I prefer to constitute the stationary element, allowing the disk It to rotate. However, the reverse of this arrangement would be entirely operative and effectual. The journal or axle proper, L, of the wheel in this instance is short and pivoted on the axis L to a member of the framework or running-gear of the vehicle, (shown at L,) and it is to this short axle thatthe magnet is secured in such a manner as to swivel with the axle and wheel. A thrustbearing is indicated at g, the balls being plainly seen and the race g being served by the springs g g.' This thrust-bearing may be one ordinarily found in a buggy-wheel; but I prefer to use a resilient feature in connection with it in such a manner as to force the surface of the disk is" and magnet L apart. A dust-guard is seen at L for the purpose of preventing ingress of foreign substance, and

the back inclosure or the inner part of the disk or its projections-viz, the hub K-is preferably entirely incased' by the housing L incasing also the thrust-bearing g.

The mounting ofthe brake-wheels with reference to the running-gear is shown, as a whole, in diagram in Fig. 2 and will be seen motor M. seen at the ends of the forward member of the framework ofthe vehicle or running gear. (Seen at L L.) Here also maybe seen the circuits of the brake-magnet, indicated by the wires numbered 63 64, which are shown as being flexible around the pivots L L and are there secured to a stationary part of the .vehicle-such, for instance, as the frame L, running-gear, or body.

The switch T, itwill be seen, is carried by the arm T, which serves to operate the mechanical brakes U U of the vehicle. These are carried by. the brake-beam U and connected to the arm T by a link U, retracted by spring T. By tracing the circuits it will be seen that the brake-circuits are connected to those controlled by the switch '1, and thus through the arm T the mechanical-brake and the electrical-brake systems are interrelated.

It will be readily understood that while it is designed to use the above parts in the relation shown, yet some may be used without the others, and the invention extends to such use. It will furthermore be readily understood that while the detailed construction has been described with more or less minuteness, yet the invention should be in no wise restricted to the exact methods and details described, but rather should be limited only in scope as indicated in the claims.

The present application constitutes a division of my prior patent, No. 641,412, dated January 16, 1900, for a system of electric circuits and brakes for vehicles.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

' the housing. to be at the forward end or the end away from V The swivels L L are here plainly 1.. In an electric-motor vehicle, an electricbrake magnet for arresting the motion of a revolving vehicle-wheel, mounted rigidly upon an axle, a wheel loose upon said axle and means for retracting the magnet from the wheel.

2. In an electric-motor vehicle, an electricbrake magnet for arresting the motion of a revolving wheel, mounted rigidly upon an axle, a wheel loose upon said axle, a thrust-bearin g between the wheel and axle and an elastic medium between the bearing and the axle.

3. In an electric-motor vehicle, an electricbrake magnet for arresting the motion of a revolving vehicle-wheel, mounted for non-rotation upon an axle, a wheel loose upon its axle, a revolving disk upon the wheel and a housing connecting the magnet with the axle, for inclosing the inner portion of the disk.

4. In an electric-motor vehicle, an electricbrake magnet for arresting the motion of a revolving vehicle-wheel, mounted rigidly upon 5. In a vehicle, a swiveling steering-wheel, a braking-face attached to the wheel, a non swiveling axis for the. steering-wheel, a nonrotating axle-dash portion swiveling with the wheel and 'a cooperating brake mounted upon said axle-dash portion.

6. In a vehicle, a swiveling steering-wheel, a brake for the Wheel, a non-swiveling axis for the steering-wheel, a non-rotating swivel ing axle-dash portion for carrying the brake and means extending to a non-swiveling axledash portion for applying the brake.

'7. In a vehicle, a swiveling. steering-wheel, an axle therefor, a separate non-swiveling axle for the vehicle, a wheel thereon, retarding means for each wheel and means mounted upon the non-swiveling member for controlling the retarding meansl i 8. In a vehicle, a swiveling steering wheel, an axle therefora separate non-swiveling axle for the vehicle, a wheel thereon, retard= ing means for each wheel. and a common means for controlling the retarding means.

9. In a vehicle, a swiveling steering-wheel, a braking-surface for the wheel, a non-rotating swiveling portion, acting as a journal for the wheel, a swiveling pivot and an electricbrake magnet mounted upon the said portion between the wheel and the pivot.

10. In a vehicle, swiveling steering-wheels, an axle or axles therefor, brakes for such wheels, a separate non-swiveling axle and wheels therefor, means for retarding the lastnamed wheels, in combination with independent mechanical brakes applied to two of the vehicle-wheels.

11. In a vehicle, swiveling steering-wheels, an axle or axles therefor, brakes for such wheels, a separate non-swiveling axle and wheels therefor, means for retarding the lastingconneetions between the retarding means named wheels, in combination with independand the independent brakes, substantially as out mechanical brakes applied to the d rivingspecified. wheels of the Vehicle. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 5 12. In a vehicle, swiveling steering-wheels, my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- I5 brakes for such wheels, 21 separate non-swivnesses.

eling axle and wheels therefor means for re- ELMEP A. SPERRY. tarding the last-named wheels, in eoinbina- Witnesses: tion with independent meehaniealbrakes ap- W. S. ROGERS,

IO plied to two of the vehicle-wheels and operat- I M. C. PENDERGAST. 

